Since it was impossible to transfer the property, the best solution was to prevent the "locusts" from causing damage.
After making up her mind, Yi Qing asked Xiao Tian, "Back then, when the Sima family saw the general rising to prominence, didn't they feel jealous and encourage Lord Yi'an to make trouble?"
Xiao Tian replied, "She didn't dare. She was also afraid of the general."
Yi Qing immediately became interested. "Why? Isn't she Xiao Jinghan's stepmother?"
Don't underestimate stepmothers. There's the story of lying on the ice to catch carp. It's about a pedantic scholar who was constantly abused by his stepmother when he was young, but still lay on the ice to catch carp for her when she was ill.
In this era, absolute reverence and filial piety towards parents, even step - parents, were encouraged. Here, repaying evil with kindness was promoted.
Xiao Tian said coldly, "Because she's not actually Lord Yi'an's second wife."
From Xiao Tian, Yi Qing learned that the Sima woman was not a proper second wife. It was just that people in the mansion called her "madam".
To avoid the situation of a favored concubine overshadowing the wife, even if the wife died, according to the law, a man couldn't promote a concubine to the position of the main wife. He had to marry a new wife.
Yi Qing immediately understood, with a sarcastic look on her face. "So she's a self - proclaimed madam. How dare such a person act so boldly?"
After all this talk, she was still just a concubine. The children she gave birth to were also of illegitimate birth.
A concubine was just a servant. The master could scold and beat her at will. Otherwise, why did a man praise his son for being brave after his son killed his father's favored concubine, only after being persuaded by his staff?
With this absolute advantage in status, Yi Qing felt more confident.
"Lord Yi'an didn't want to promote her, but he needed the permission of the Fan family to take a second wife," Xiao Tian said coldly. "The Fan family didn't recognize her and threatened to report him to the emperor if he dared to promote her. That's why he failed."
The implication was that Lord Yi'an's love for the Sima woman was still undeniable, and they needed to be careful.
After all, the Sima woman was in an improper position, but Lord Yi'an was Xiao Jinghan's biological father. This was an unchangeable fact.
Actually, the matter of making a concubine the main wife was something the government wouldn't interfere with if the people didn't report it. But if the Fan family stepped in, it was a different story.
Yi Qing nodded, but then asked with a bit of confusion, "Didn't Lord Yi'an use the matter of Lady Fan to blackmail the Fan family?"
If Lord Yi'an insisted that Lady Fan had eloped with someone, for the sake of their reputation, the Fan family would have to agree to any harsh conditions.
"The Fan family is not easy to deceive. Without evidence, only Lord Yi'an would believe the Sima woman's words."
So that was it.
The Sima woman swore that Lady Fan had eloped, but the Fan family thought there were loopholes. Maybe their daughter had been killed. So the two sides were at a stalemate, and the matter was left unresolved.
The only one who suffered was Xiao Jinghan.
Lord Yi'an's dislike for him came entirely from his malicious speculation about Lady Fan.
Yi Qing sneered. When a man wanted to be a jerk, he could throw all family affection out of the window.
She suddenly turned to Xiao Tian and asked, "Have you seen the Sima woman?"
Xiao Tian nodded.
"Is she extremely beautiful?"
"She's very ordinary and far inferior to Lady Fan."
Tsk tsk. So it was true love that didn't depend on looks.
Xiao Tian seemed to be talking to himself, but his face was gloomy. "I've never seen a more two - faced and hypocritical woman than the Sima woman."
Yi Qing walked to the vase, bent down to gently smell the peonies still with dew on them, and then pointed at the dog playing with Baozi in the yard. "Look, people love flowers, while dogs eat shit. If you try to tell a dog how fragrant the flowers are, it will just tell you how fragrant the shit is."
Xiao Tian was amused by her. "You're amazing."
Yi Qing said, "I'm a bit more experienced than you, but I can't do it alone. I need to find someone to help me."
A straight - laced man like Xiao Tian was useless in the inner - house battles. Lady Di couldn't be counted on either. Otherwise, she wouldn't have been schemed against by Concubine Wen for so many years.
"Who should we find? I'll help you look for them."
Yi Qing waved her hand. "No. You don't understand the affairs in the inner house. We need Deng Xiao's help."
Xiao Tian's face darkened.
Yi Qing said with a smile, "Are you jealous?"
"He's a eunuch."
"Yes, so don't be jealous," Yi Qing said, seizing the opportunity. "Moreover, he owes me a favor. It would be a great loss if we don't get some interest back."
"Tell me what you want to do."
Xiao Tian was still a bit unconvinced. He thought that if Deng Xiao could do something, he could do it too.
"Ask him to help find someone. I'll mention it to him when I visit Lady He tomorrow."
In the evening, an unexpected guest came again.
Hearing the sound of the stone slab being lifted, Yi Qing lifted her eyelids and looked at Xiao Tian, who was sitting opposite her and hadn't left. "You knew he was coming?"
Xiao Tian nodded. "I was afraid it would burden you, so I didn't tell you."
As he spoke, he pulled the emperor and his attendant, Little Dezi, up.
Yi Qing lazily got up to pay respects, always waiting for the emperor to say "be excused", but he didn't. So she had to obediently squat down to pay respects.
The emperor laughed smugly. "You want to take advantage? It's not that easy. Go and pour tea for me."
Yi Qing rolled her eyes. "Your Majesty, you have three palaces, six courtyards, and seventy - two concubines. You can favor any of them. Why do you have to compete with me for a man? I only have this one!"
The emperor raised his eyebrows. "Then I'll reward you with a few more."
Xiao Tian put the teacup down heavily. "Don't you have anything better to do?"
Yi Qing said, "I'll go and sleep in Baozi's room. You two can do your own thing."
"Wait. I'm here to find you today," the emperor said.
Yi Qing pretended to be confused. "Find me? What have I done to deserve this?"
"Speak properly," the emperor glared at her. "Lord Yi'an is back in the capital. Aren't you worried?"
Yi Qing raised her hand to adjust her hairpin. "What do I have to worry about? Does he want to have an affair with his daughter - in - law? I don't take a fancy to such a blind man who favors his concubine over his wife."
The emperor spat out all the tea he had just drunk. Little Dezi quickly rushed up to wipe it for him.
Yi Qing looked at him with disdain. Such a grown - up man couldn't even take care of himself.
The emperor pointed at Yi Qing with a trembling finger and looked at Xiao Tian. "You, you don't even discipline her?"
Xiao Tian said, "Just get to the point quickly."
"Fine, fine. You've really spoiled her beyond measure. You'll be the one who suffers in the end," the emperor grunted. He squinted at Yi Qing. "For Xiao Tian's sake, I'll definitely help you. But I also have the Empress Dowager above me. I can't do whatever I want. So you can't rely entirely on me. You have to be self - reliant."
"I do want to be self - reliant, but I'm just a weak woman in the inner house. What can I do for Your Majesty?" Yi Qing leaned on the small table lazily, propping her chin with her hand.
The emperor said, "When did I say I wanted you to help me?"
Yi Qing pretended to be surprised. "So Your Majesty came here tonight just to help me?"
Stop pretending. If he wasn't doing it for his own sake, Yi Qing would write her name backwards.
Xiao Tian said calmly, "She's always smart and can understand things immediately. Your Majesty, just speak straight."